Minor League Roundup - 6/5

Jason Cole

06/05/2011

All four of the Texas Rangers' minor league affiliates were victorious on Sunday, with all four getting strong starting pitching performances. Lone Star Dugout takes a look at all of the day's minor league action.

Although Neil Ramirez (3.44 ERA/.224 BAA) had tossed three scoreless innings in his start on May 31, he was forced from the game after taking a one-hop smash off his arm.

The 22-year-old made his next start with no issue on Sunday, and he earned the victory after yielding just two runs in six innings. Ramirez allowed four hits and struck out nine without walking a batter. He finished the outing by retiring the last nine batters he faced, getting five punchouts.

The start was the first time Ramirez had pitched six full innings since his Triple-A debut. He threw 65 strikes out of 97 pitches.

Red-hot cleanup hitter Chad Tracy (.280/.364/.493) had another big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBI. Tracy now has 48 RBI in 53 games this season, and he is 28-for-67 (.418) with men in scoring position.

Third baseman Chris Davis (.362/.395/.870) was 3-for-4 with two doubles. Davis now has six doubles, a triple, nine homers and-–most incredibly––29 RBI in 17 Triple-A contests.

Relievers Ryan Tucker (2 IP) and Beau Jones (1 IP) closed out the win with three total innings of hitless, scoreless ball. Tucker issued two walks in his two frames while Jones worked a four-pitch ninth.

Richard Bleier (4.50 ERA/.297 BAA) was on top of his game in picking up his first ‘W' of the season on Sunday. The sinkerballing lefty induced 12 ground ball outs while throwing just 89 pitches in seven scoreless innings. He scattered four singles, walked one, and struck out two.

Bleier has struck out 17 and walked four in 36 innings with the ‘Riders this season.

The Frisco offense stranded 12 runners and went just 2-for-15 with men in scoring position. They were helped out by four Tulsa errors.

Leadoff hitter and centerfielder Leonys Martin (.338/.419/.538) returned to the lineup after getting two games off. The 23-year-old singled twice and laid down a sacrifice bunt in five plate appearances.

Relief pitchers Ben Snyder (4.33 ERA/.268 BAA) and Justin Miller (3.49 ERA/.226 BAA) worked one shutout frame apiece. Miller earned his fourth save, striking out two while working around a single and a walk.

Robbie Ross (2.59 ERA/.237 BAA) got a crack at the first complete game of his career on Sunday, but he wasn't quite able to finish it off.

Still, it was an excellent start for the 21-year-old hurler. Ross allowed three runs in eight-plus innings, giving up seven hits, walking two, and fanning six. He had allowed just one run as he entered the ninth but gave up a walk and a single before departing. Both runners ultimately came around to score.

Ross has worked eight innings in each of his last two starts.

Second baseman Santiago Chirino (.261/.317/.333) broke the game open with his two-run homer––his second––in the fourth inning. The knock was Chirino's only hit of the day.

Third baseman Mike Olt, who was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, belted his 10th round-tripper of the year in the fifth inning.

Ryan Strausborger got his average back to an even .300 by going 2-for-3 with his fifth triple and a base on balls.

The Crawdads jumped out to a big lead with Christian Villanueva's (.272/.326/.436) third-inning grand slam. Although the 19-year-old's average has dipped lately, he is still flashing a good bit of power.

Jackson (4.11 ERA/.283 BAA) started the game with three shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out two. He didn't walk a batter but plunked a pair.

McBride then worked the fourth through sixth frames. The North Carolina native permitted four runs on eight hits in his three innings, walking and striking out one.

The BlueClaws got 13 hits off Hickory pitching on Sunday, but all of them were singles.

Streaking DH Tomas Telis (.305/.353/.445) went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI. He is now 10-for-15 in his last three contests.

Leadoff hitter Teodoro Martinez (1/3, 2B, 2 BB) doubled and walked two more times. Martinez, who walked just nine times in 53 rookie ball games last year, has suddenly worked eight free passes in his last five games.

Virginia Commonwealth product Joe Van Meter (3.76 ERA/.216 BAA) kept Lakewood off the board for the final two innings en route to earning his fourth victory.

Player of the Game: 3B Christian Villanueva

AB

R

H

2B

HR

RBI

BB

K

AVG

4

1

1

0

1

4

0

1

.272

DSL: DSL Rangers – OFF4-1, 1.0 GB

The DSL Rangers enjoyed a scheduled day off on Sunday. The club will face the DSL Nationals on Monday morning.

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